Part 61 or Part 141

Understanding how the FAA has separated aviation regulations is the first step in clarifying the road to achieving pilot certification.

You are about to commit a lot of time, energy, and money into your new hobby. Please take a moment to read the following paragraphs to make sure you understand what you are getting into and how you can make the best out of it.

The word "Part" in both Part 61 and Part 141 refers to the Code of Federal Regulation which, for aviation, details requirements needed to meet in order to receive a certificate.

The basis for flight training is highlighted in Part 61. For example, Part 61.127 specifies that “a person who applies for a commercial pilot certificate with an airplane category and single-engine class rating must log at least 250 hours of flight time as a pilot”. Those hours must consist of a specific mix of time classified as cross-country, pilot-in-command, etc.

FAA Approval

A certain number of flight schools in the United States are approved to teach under Part 141. These schools are required to submit a training program to the FAA for special approval. Due to the level of oversight, those schools are allowed to lower the minimum hour requirement from Part 61 and train pilots in less time. The quality of training is usually higher at Part 141 schools due to the constant scrutiny from the FAA. The advantages to you, the customer, is that flight training is more affordable and more structured.

Each school receives specific approval from the FAA so there are no established hours for each certification.